Mary Ann Priester, PhD, MSW
Senior Management Analyst
Mecklenburg County Community Support Services
Housing, Innovation, and Stabilization Services
Since its inception in 2019 , the “One Number” has served as the primary benchmark for the number of people experiencing homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
The One Number is the best snapshot available for the number of people actively experiencing homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. It provides the most accurate minimum number of people experiencing homeless and provides insights into the minimum number of housing units and subsidies needed today to address their homelessness. These data also provide timely insights into the number of people flowing into and out of the homeless services system.
The Housing Data Snapshot, the hub for the latest data related to housing and homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, not only provides an overall count and demographics of homelessness by household type and subpopulation, it also highlights inflow to (Newly identified, Returns from Permanent Housing, Returns for Inactivity) and outflow from (Exit to Permanent Housing, Exit to Inactivity), homelessness.
This week’s blog post provides the most recent One Number update; the latest One Number trends and analysis; and what this means for Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
As of September 30, 2025, there are 2,340 individuals in 1,915 households experiencing homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. This total includes 1,550 single individuals, 133 unaccompanied youth, 192 households with minor children (totaling 605 people), and 40 families with multiple adults (totaling 71 people). Included in the total of 2,340 individuals, 138 are homeless Veterans, and 685 are individuals who are experiencing chronic homelessness. Based on these data, the minimum number of people experiencing homelessness right now (and therefore, the minimum number of housing units and/or subsidies needed) in Charlotte-Mecklenburg is 1,915.
Considering inflow (into homelessness) and outflow (out of homelessness), here are some noteworthy trends:
- Between August 2025 and September 2025, there was a 246 person decrease in the total number of people experiencing homelessness. There has been a 29% (or 971 person) decrease in overall homelessness since September 2024. In September 2025, 529 individuals entered homelessness (inflow) and 567 people exited (outflow). Of the 529 individuals entering homelessness, 61% (324) were newly identified, 9% (46) returned to homelessness from permanent housing, and 30% (159) returned from an inactive status. Of the 567 individuals exiting homelessness, 33% (185) moved to permanent housing and 67% (382) exited homelessness to an inactive status, which means that they had not been engaged in services for the previous 30 days.
- Between August 2025 and September 2025, overall homelessness decreased for all populations except multiple adult households which only increased by 1 person. The largest decreases were among families with minor children and unaccompanied youth and while the inflow exceeded the outflow for both populations, there was also a focused effort to follow up with these populations and many were exited from the system due to inability to contact. Finally, the median number of days it takes to exit homelessness into housing increased 128 days from 148 days to 276 days and the average number of days it takes to exit homelessness into housing increased from 501 days to 543 days. The median tells us the typical number of days it takes to exit homelessness into housing while the average includes long-stayers in shelter and people experiencing chronic homelessness.
- According to the most recent One Number data, disaggregated by race and ethnicity, individuals who identify as Black/African American continue to experience homelessness at rates much higher than their proportion of the Mecklenburg County population (74% vs. 33%) while individuals who identify as White, non-Hispanic experience homelessness at a rate much lower than their prevalence in the population (16% vs 45%). Individuals who identify as Hispanic/Latino only have a prevalence of 3% in the homeless population but comprise 14% of the Mecklenburg County population; this reflects a possible underrepresentation of the people who experience homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and identify as Hispanic/Latino.
SO, WHAT
The latest One Number data illustrate meaningful progress in reducing homelessness across Mecklenburg County, with notable decreases over the past year among families, youth, and single adults. These gains reflect the collective impact of coordinated community efforts, data-driven strategies, and targeted outreach to those most in need. At the same time, the data highlight ongoing opportunities to strengthen housing access, reduce racial disparities, and improve engagement with all populations experiencing homelessness. As the community continues to build on this momentum, the focus on collaboration, equity, and sustained investment in housing solutions will be essential to ensuring that every person in Mecklenburg County has a safe and stable place to call home.
